Printing logos on clothes is how manufacturing companies design shirts, hoodies, and bags and promote their brand.
However, if the logo is getting faded, you want to change it, or you don’t want it anymore, you can remove it from your clothes by yourself. Below is how to do it.
Ever Wanted To Know How Logos Printed On Your Clothes? Here’s How
You need to know the different types of printing for clothes as the type used to design the logo you want to remove determines what method to use.
Screen printing
Screen printing also referred to as silk-screen printing, is one of the most popular methods because of the excellent quality of its output. It remains one of the oldest and most preferred methods of creating vibrant, long-lasting designs.
It is also relatively cost-effective, especially for bulk production, where you’ll be doing similar designs. The fabric absorbs the ink used for screen printing and creates brilliant designs.
A nylon mesh and stencil are used too; the nylon mesh is used to hold up the stencil. Unlike other methods where one template is used for one design, screen printing allows you to use one template as many times as possible.
One important thing to note with screen printing is using high-quality inks. Inks of lower quality fade quickly and could cause damage to your clothes.
Vinyl heat transfer
This method requires a special soft cloth cut into various shapes and designs, transferring them to the fabric using a heat press, a machine, or an iron box.
A Cricut machine cuts out the shapes. This method is most suitable for printing small logos on clothes. It has long-lasting results but isn’t ideal for bulk production.
It is also a straightforward process. It is, however, not suitable for fabrics that are sensitive to high heat. The beauty of the vinyl heat transfer method is that it doesn’t create too much mess and needs minimum maintenance afterward.
Computer-aided Design Cut Printing
This technique also uses a heat press to transfer designs onto clothes. This technique is commonly used to print names, numbers, and logos onto a Computer-Aided Design Cut Vinyl material and then on jerseys and sports T-shirts with a heat press.
This process involves cutting desired designs and letters on colored vinyl. A heat press is then used to transfer the vinyl to the fabric. This process is excellent for printing colors of smaller quantities.
This method works for all fabrics but is most commonly used for jerseys and sport shirts.
How Do You Remove Logos From Shirts? Here Are 2 Detailed Guides.
Use a pressing iron
Remove logos from shirts using a pressing iron with this step-by-step guide.
- Place the shirt on a flat surface such as an ironing board, a hard table, or even the floor. This works best for logos made with vinyl or rubber prints.
- Place a dry towel and fold it up to fit directly below all the print you want to remove. Doing this will protect the other side of the cloth from the heat of the iron.
- Place your hot iron on a wet cloth over the printing you want to remove. Apply a little pressure to ensure that the heat reaches the print.
- Next, remove the iron once you’re sure that the wet cloth is dry. If you leave the iron on too long, your shirt could burn.
- Finally, use a knife to pry off and loosen the print gently. Use the knife to peel off the edges, then use your fingers to remove it altogether.
- Repeat this process until you remove the logo from your fabric.
Use solvents
Solvents such as alcohol, nail polish, or adhesive remover can also remove logos from clothes. However, they only work with rubber and vinyl prints.
- First, test the solvent you want to use on a part of the clothing item to see if it causes any damage. If nothing happens, then it is safe to carry on.
- Turn the piece of cloth inside out so that the other side of the printing faces you. This would allow you to soak the fabric from behind.
- Put the fabric on a flat surface and pour out enough solvent to soak the back of the material behind the part of the print you want to remove.
- Try to stretch the fabric out to soak in the solvent thoroughly.
- Turn the fabric right side out to peel or scrape off the print. Do this using a knife for the edges and your fingers for the remaining part.
- Repeat this entire process until you get your desired result. After, wash the fabric normally to eliminate any harsh chemical smells.
How To Remove Logos From Hoodies
Hoodies can be designed using embroidery, vinyl, or screen printing methods. Each method has a different technique of removal.
Vinyl logos
Removing vinyl lettering requires heat from a hairdryer or a pressing iron. The heat from either of these appliances softens both the vinyl and the adhesive used to stick it to the hoodie. To remove vinyl designs from your hoodie, follow these steps.
- Set the hairdryer to the hottest and position it on the part of the print you want to remove for about one minute.
- If you’re using a pressing iron, place a damp cloth on the vinyl letters, then place the iron on top till the cloth becomes dry.
- Once the letters have received enough heat, you can use your fingers to firmly tug at the design till it is peeled off completely. If using your fingers doesn’t suffice, you could use a knife to scrape it off gently.
- Finally, wash the hoodie in a gentle cycle and air-dry.
Screen-printed logos
The best way to remove screen-printed letters is to use a solvent, preferably nail polish remover.
- The first step is to test a bit of the nail polish remover on a small hoodie area to ensure that it doesn’t cause any damage to the fabric. It is safe to do this outside and wear a mask and gloves.
- Place a piece of cardboard inside the hoodie to protect the other side from chemicals.
- Next, soak the printed area with the nail polish remover and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- Use a rag or a soft bristle brush to remove the screen-printed design.
- After, wash the hoodie to get rid of the chemicals and air-dry it.
Embroidered logos
Removing embroidered print isn’t as difficult as the other types of print. You need some tweezers and a seam ripper. Here is the process.
- Start with the inside of the hoodie right at the back of the embroidered print. Slide the blade of the seam ripper under some of the embroidery thread. The blade will cut the threads as you keep sliding.
- Ensure you only focus on a tiny area at a time. After cutting the threads, use the tweezers to pull them out before moving to other areas.
- Be careful with the seam ripper so you don’t end up damaging your fabric. As you go, you would see a thinly made, rough-textured fabric under the threads. Pull this out once you see it.
- Finally, use a magnifying glass to check for any tiny threads left. You could try to pull them out, but if they don’t budge, they’ll disappear after you wash and iron the hoodie.
How To Remove Logos From Jerseys
Jerseys designed with vinyl lettering and numbers are trendy among sports teams and casual wear.
But sometimes, you want to wear the jersey without that sponsorship logo or a college watermark, or perhaps you even want to replace the logo with a new one.
Below are steps to follow to get rid of logos on jerseys.
- To remove lettering and numberings from jerseys, you need an iron, a flat surface (preferably an ironing board), a knife, and a pair of tweezers.
- Before you start, ensure you check the care label on the jersey to see the appropriate iron heat setting. Some materials, such as cotton, can tolerate more heat than others. Polyester, for example, can’t take a lot of heat. Make sure to check so that you don’t damage the fabric of your jersey.
- Next, get a small piece of cloth and soak it in water. Then, squeeze it out, such that it is damp but not dripping wet.
- Try to work on one small area at a time. Place the damp cloth firmly over the vinyl lettering, and then place a pressing iron on the fabric until it is dry. Apply pressure when placing the iron and remove it as soon as the cloth is dry.
- Turn the jersey inside and press the other side of the vinyl lettering or numbering for about 30 seconds. This time, you may not necessarily need the press cloth.
- While the vinyl and jersey are still hot, peel off the vinyl with your fingers or tweezers.
- After doing this, use a knife to scrape off the rest of the vinyl or loosen it before pulling it out with your fingers. Be careful so that you don’t damage the fabric with the knife.
- Repeat the process of ironing and pulling out as many times as you get all the vinyl print out of the jersey.
- After removing the vinyl letters and numbers from the jersey, there would most likely still be some residue. All you need to do is spray rubbing alcohol or an adhesive remover on the residue and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Next, rub the area gently but firmly with a sponge or a soft cloth.
- Wash the jersey as usual.
Summary
For whatever reason you might have, you can remove logos from your clothes using any of these effective techniques.
All you need is to identify what type of print it is and the method used to apply it to your clothes before choosing a suitable removal method. However, don’t forget to be careful when removing logos.
Jessica Oliver is a fashion enthusiast with more than ten years of experience in the industry. She previously managed her own clothing store in New York before becoming a mother of three. With a passion for sustainability and a desire to share clothing care and recycling tips.
Being a fashion designer myself I found this a very informative article. Thanks for enhancing my knowledge.
OMG – I had been trying to get a logo off my daughter’s brand new shirt that half came off. I had been using tweezers and it was taking me forever. I read this, used the acetone method and the rest of the logo just fell off in half a second!!!! Magic! Thank you, this was a godsend!!!
Thank you for your kind words, and hope your daughter can now enjoy her shirt logo-free!